Wednesday, April 24, 2013

B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout Ghost 003

Wife and kids to the beach? Sweet! I just opened Adroit-Theory's B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout Ghost 003. (B/A/Y/S stands for Black As Your Soul). This is the same beer as the one I reviewed last month, except that it is aged in Woodinville Whiskey Bourbon Barrels. You should totally go read about this brewery and their planned launch and some of the stories behind the beer over on that other review. I'm not going to rehash everything again today.But as I mentioned, this is a bourbon barrel aged version of Ghost 002, which was brewed with chestnut staves, hazelnuts and cherries. Same awesome label art on the 375mL corked and caged bottle. The only distinguishing feature was the sticker over the cork identifying the beer inside. I got bottle 45 of 100. Excellent chocolate aroma with a light roast, cherry nuances and a huge whiff of whiskey. Sweet chocolate flavors are prominent in the beginning with some flavorful coffee coming through for support. Some spirited whiskey is noteworthy, adding a punch to the beer while knocking down some of the initial sweetness. A little in your face, but not hot. Silky smooth texture and feel in the mouth. Cherry and nutty nuances exist along with a bit of smokey, ashy flavor. Some dry woodiness stands out at the end. Nice beer. I like the aging addition to the base beer, though I feel it was a bit overwhelming by the end of the bottle. I've been know to trash bourbon barrel aged beers and opt for originals before, so if that's your style, you'll love this. And I did, just not as much as Ghost 002! Try it when you can. (June 2013, hopefully).